Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State.Getty Images
So much for Hillary Clinton not deserving or seeking credit for Northern Ireland’s peace process.
Her role in the peace process has often been a subject of controversy, but most experts agree she played a major part, especially in galvanizing women and cross community groups behind the drive for peace.
It was obviously important to her. The new batch of emails from her server which have been released has one from long time Clinton advisor Sidney Blumenthal praising her for her role in securing the return to devolved government in February 2010 in Northern Ireland.
The just released White House e-mail (not classified) from Blumenthal and reply from Clinton was voted one of the “gushiest” of all the thousands released by Politico.
It is reprinted in full here with a helpful timeline.
"Bravo! Bravo! Issue your statement!" Blumenthal wrote in a February 2010 email congratulating the secretary of state for her role in helping reach an agreement in Northern Ireland to devolve powers from the British parliament.
Hillary responds, "I will be doing a press event at 8:30. Do you know if Gordon mentioned me? Can you find out?" Clinton asked, referring to then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Blumenthal responded that ambassadors at the event would praise her role.
State aide Jake Sullivan followed up with an update on what the British prime minister said.
The resolution came after a massive dispute over devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland government.
For weeks the Northern talks teetered on the brink, but one key participant, Martin McGuinness, has spoken frequently of the vital role Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played.
Timeline of Events 2010
- January
- 20 January – Talks between Sinn Féin and the DUP about the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland administration come to an end.
- 23 January – Sinn Féin party executive meets to discuss talks position.
- 25 January – Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen travel to Hillsborough Castle for talks with the parties.
- 26 January – The two Prime Ministers remain in the Hillsborough Castle talks and all-party discussions begin.
- 27 January – The two Prime Ministers leave without an agreement being reached, giving the parties 48 hours to reach agreement, otherwise the governments would publish plans for moving the political process forward.
- 31 January – Talks, which have continued all week, break for the day with reports of "considerable progress" having been made. Hillary Clinton said to be playing very supportive role
- February
- 3 February – Peter Robinson resumes role as First Minister, but has yet to convince his party to accept a deal.
- 5 February – Justice and policing powers to be devolved to Northern Ireland's power-sharing government from 12 April 2010 following agreement between Sinn Féin and the DUP. Endorsed by presence of British and Irish Prime Ministers.